Tapestry fabric and method of making the same



B. HOLMES 1,736,532

TAPESTRY FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb. l14. 1927 2 sheets-sheet 1 Nov. 19, 1929.A

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Nov. 19, 1929. B. HOLMES 1,736,532

TAPESTRY FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb. 14, '1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

Patented Nov. 19, 19.29

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BENJAMIN HOLMES, OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 MORRELL MILLS, INC., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE TAPESTRY FABRIC AND METHOD 0F MAKING THE SAME Application led February 14, 1927. Serial No. 167,980.

My invention relates to a new and useful textile fabric, more particularly, an embossed tapestry fabric of a novel highly ornamental and durable character, which at the same time is inexpensive to produce. My invention further relates to a novel method of weaving tapestry fabrics and more particularly to a novel method of embossing the figuring or design upon the face of fabrics, so as to produce not only a highly ornamental and at the same time inexpensive tapestry fabric, but thereby also to produce an embossed tapestry fabric of greater durability and one which will better withstand usage and wear.

- lVith the above ends in view my invention consists of a multi-ply tapestry fabric including a ground or body ply, of any suitable weave, extending throughout the entire fabric, unbroken and in substantially one plane, and a figuring ply disposed alternately upon the face or back of the ground or body ply, over any desired figured areas, being tied to the ground ply on the 'face and being free of the ground ply on the back; said figuring ply being formed of relatively thick and bulky weft threads hereinafter termed padding weft threads or stuife'r weft threads and relatively thin and suitably colored figuring warp threads and said padding weft threads being floated across the ground ply in noninterlocking relation thereto and being encased within and firmly tied to the surface of the ground ply by the figure warp threads, upon the face of the fabric, thereby raising said figured warp threads a very substantial distance above the face of the ground ply, thus to produce a highly accentuated embossed design closely simulating what is known as a frizette effect.

My invention further consists of a novel method of weaving a tapestry fabric of a character stated, which consists in dierently tensioning two or more separate sets of warp threads and interweaving the same with two different weft threads of greatly dierent thicknesses. More particularly my invention consists in providing two differently tensioned sets of ground warp threads and a third and separate set of figured warp threads, the latter tensioned to a lesser extent than either one of the two sets of ground warp threads, interlaoing a ground weft thread with said sets of differently tensioned ground warp threads in any desired plain or other weave, throughout the fabric, thereby to produce a continuous and unbroken ground ply in substantially one plane, and interlacing said figure warp threads, or any desired portions of said ligure warp threads upon the face of the ground ply, alternately with a padding weft thread laid freely, or floated across the face of the ground ply, and with a ground ply weft thread thereby to tie and to encase said padding weft threads on the face of the ground ply, with the desired colored figure warp threads.

VDue to the relatively highly tensioned ground weave and the relatively lightly tensioned figure weave, comprising padding weft threads merely laid over the ground weave or ply and not interlaced with any of the ground warp threads, an embossed figuring is produced upon the face of the ground ply, which will project above the surface thereof with sharp and well defined bound-k aries.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying draws ings, a form thereof which is at present preferred by me since it will give in practice, satisfactory and reliable results. although it is to be understood that ythe various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as hereinV shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a portion of the novel tapestry fabric taken parallel to the warp thereof.

Figure 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Figure l, illustrating the structure of the fabric transversely of the warp thereof.

Figure 3 represents a section 0n line 3--3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 represents a section on line 4 4: of Figure l. l

Figure 5 represents a section on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 represents a diagrammatic vieW in side elevation of a loom adapted to carry out the novel method of my invention.

Referring more particularly to Figure ot the drawings, 1, 2 and 3 designate the three separate warp beams employed to carry out my 1novel method; 1 supplying a set of medium tensioned ground warp strands or threads 4 (either single or double ended), 2 supplying the lightly tensioned figure warp threads 5, and 3 supplying t-he highly tensioned ground warp threads 6.

The warp threads 4, 5 .and 6 pass over any suitable whip roll 7, then pass through suitable heddles 8 and 9, carried and actuated byV the jacquard frame 10, and suitably weighted by the linges 11, and are then passed through the reed 12 and tinally over the breast beam 13. The shuttle is designated by the numeral 14 in Figure 6. Vhile in Figure 6 only one shuttle 14 is shown, it is to be understood that at least two shuttles are required to carry out my novel method, one to y throw or pick oit the` ground weifts 18 and 28,

are interwoven with said ground weft threads in a continuous and uniform manner, inany suitable plain or other weave to produce a continuous and substantially unbroken ground ply 19 of a relatively tight or close texture. This is best illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive. The alternate ground "wett threads designated by the numerals 18 and 28 respectively are identical and maybe, and preferably are supplied from the same shuttle, although 'they have different functions within the fabric.

The lightly 'tensioned Ycolored figure warp threads 5, suitably collocated upon the ligure beam 2, comprise any one, two or more ditterently colored threads, as for instance the green threads 20 and red threads 21, represented by `inclined and vertical cross-hatchn ing respectively in the sectional views yin Figures 1 vto 5 inclusive. The differently colored warp threads 2O and 21 are shed kin any predetermined and desired sequence by means of Vthe jacquard `frame and are either alternately raised above the face of the ground ply 19, in order alternately to Ygive the particular color on the face ot' the iinished fabric,lor both, or all such colored ligure warp threads 20 and 21 (collectively designated by the numeral 5), are sunk beneath the ground ply 19, it a ground face area is desired.

These different surface conditions are illustrated particularly in Figure 1. Thus, the area designated by the arrow 22, is, in specic illustration shown by Figure 1, a green colored embossed face area, while the portions 23 and 24 are red colored embossed face areas. Thus also, the area 25 is a ground face area, where the colored or ligured warps alie entirely submerged beneath Vthe .ground P Y- In carrying out my invention the ground -pl-y 19 is woven ot the medium and highly tensioned, warp threads 4 and 6, respectively, and the wett threads 18 and 28. To produce a ground tace area the colored warp threads 20 and 21 are sunk below the ground ply 19, and are there interwoven with the padding weft threads 2G, which are similarly sunk beneath the groundply 19, 'in an entirely detached and noninterlacing relation'to the upper ground ply 19, 'thereby forming between the ground plv 19 andthe submerged colored ply 2T, what may be termed open pockets. lllhen a ligured and embossed area is desired on the tace ot the lfabric, that is above the ground ply 1'9, such as the figured areas '22, 28 and 24, the vparticular colored figure warp, such as the figure 'warps 2O or v21, is raised above the ground ply 19, by means of the jacquard, and the ,padding wett thread 26 is similarly raised above the ground ply 19. To produce the embossed colored or figured area ot the particularcolored warp thread, as for instance the green threads 20 in the ligured area "22, or the red threads 21 in the figured areas 23 and'24, the particular colored warp threads are interwoven alternately with onepick of padding Wett 26 and one Vor more picks of the ground weft threads 28 (see Figure 1). Y

Vhile the medium tensioned 'ground warp threads 4 are sufficiently tighter than the lightly tensioned colored or figure warp threads 20 and 21 l(or collectively designated as threads 5 in Figure '6) so as to maintain an unbroken plain ground ply 19, yet in order to drawthe figure warp threads 20 and 21 down through the body ,of 'the ground Vply 19 throughout the figured areas (22, 23 and 24) "the particular `ground wett picks designated by the numeral 28, Awhich are interwoven with the figured `warps 20 and 21, are interlaced with the highly ltensioned ground warp threads 6 in opposition to said lightly tensioned colored warp threads 20 and 21. Due to this great difference between the `tensioning of the ground warp threads Gand the opposed gure warp threads 20 and 21 (warps 5 in Figure 6) both interlacingwith the same ground wett picks 28, or threads 20 and 21 are `drawn down through the ground ply 19, leaving the padding weft threads or stutter wefts 26,'clear above the ground ply 19, though completely encased by the particular Vcolored ground warp thread, and

firmly tied to the face of the ground ply 19 by means thereof.

The figure Warp threads 20 and 21, not being used in any particular figured face area such as the red thread 21 in the green face area 22 or the green warp thread 2O in the red face areas 23 and 24, are sunk beneath the ground ply 19, and floated on the back, though interlaced occasionally with a ground weft so as to tie the unused figure warps to the back of the ground ply 19.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

The method of weaving a fabric of the character stated, which consists in employing two sets of medium and highly tensioned ground Warp threads and one set of figured warp threads, interweaving the same with ground weft thread, thereby to produce a ground ply in substantially one plane, interlacing said figure Warp threads upon the face of said ply alternately with a padding Wett thread laid freely across said ply and with a ground weft thread thereby to tie and en- Case said padding Wett thread on the face of the ply with the figured Warp threads, the diiference in tensioning of the two sets of ground Warp threads providing an embossed tapestry fabric unbroken in substantially one plane, and a guring ply disposed alternately upon the body ply.

, BENJAMIN HOLMES. 

